Wildlife Adaptation
in a Changing World
The Adaptive Ecology Research Group (AERG) at the University of Mpumalanga is an African-led conservation research group that studies how wildlife adapts to climate and environmental change, and how this shapes disease risk, ecosystem resilience, and conservation decisions in African landscapes.
Advancing Wildlife Health
Science in Africa
Climate and environmental change are threatening biodiversity. Global change is driving the emergence of new infectious diseases, and our understanding of how wildlife will respond to environmental stress is limited. Africa has rich biodiversity, yet conservation strategies are inadequate in the current dynamic context.
Led by zoologist and animal ecologist Prof Mduduzi Ndlovu, the Adaptive Ecology Research Group is based in the School of Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Mpumalanga. The group advances research at the nexus of ecology, parasitology, and One Health in key biodiversity hotspots, linking animal ecology, epidemiology, and spatial scaling.
Our Approach
Our vision is an Africa where wildlife adapts successfully to climate and environmental change, allowing everyone to benefit from wildlife for generations to come.
Our mission is to advance research at the nexus of ecology and parasitology to understand threats and enablers of resilient ecosystems and develop innovative wildlife conservation strategies.
To achieve this, we focus on three interconnected pillars:
Contextualised Research
Driving animal ecology research to understand individual- and population-level animal responses under environmental change, and how these enable or threaten ecosystem resilience.
Research Capacity Building
Building the capacity and visibility of skilled African wildlife disease ecology researchers and practitioners through research-led training, supervision, and mentorship.
Research Translation
Collaborating with conservation and One Health stakeholders to develop research-led guidance, tools, and strategies for managing biodiversity under climate and environmental change.
Our Research
Our research links animal adaptation, wildlife disease, and ecosystem resilience to improve conservation decisions in African landscapes.
Animal Adaptation and Movement
Studying how birds and small mammals move, adapt, and persist under changing conditions to identify patterns of resilience and vulnerability that inform conservation planning.
Wildlife Disease Surveillance
Integrating field sampling and laboratory analysis to monitor wildlife diseases, detect emerging threats, and support timely responses to animal health risks.
Conservation Tools and the Wildlife Health Tracker
Turning evidence into practical guidelines, management plans, and a Wildlife Health Tracker concept that makes wildlife health information more accessible for state and private conservation areas.
Silent Passengers: Animal Infections and Wildlife Conservation in Africa
LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Climate and environmental change are reshaping biodiversity and driving the emergence of new infectious diseases. The Adaptive Ecology Research Group’s (AERG) work tackles this moving target by connecting animal ecology, disease, and conservation in African ecosystems.
Led by Prof Mduduzi Ndlovu, a Zoologist and NRF-rated animal ecologist whose primary interest is biodiversity conservation, the AERG focuses on animal ecology, epidemiology, and spatial scaling. The work pays particular attention to how species adapt to environmental stress and how these adaptations affect conservation.
Through this research, the AERG is advancing critical understanding of ecological and wildlife health threats in Africa, while developing effective mitigation strategies. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration across health, research, conservation practice, and to build a robust evidence base that informs biodiversity conservation and One Health disease-management approaches. This supports the vision of an Africa where wildlife and ecosystems are resilient and able to adapt to climate and environmental change.
By training African animal disease ecologists, conducting contextualised research at African biodiversity hotspots, and working with conservation and policy partners, the group helps ensure that conservation strategies remain responsive to emerging threats and opportunities, and that African perspectives shape the future of wildlife health and ecosystem resilience.